Hydraulic pile puller



Aug. 22, 1961 w. H. RICE 2,996,888

HYDRAULIC PILE FULLER Filed Jan. 26, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I Z 2@ I 1 f VML LAFPD H RC5.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Aug. 22, 1961 w. H. RICE HYDRAULIC PILE FULLER Filed Jan. 26, 1959 Patented Aug. 22, 1961 2,996,888 HYDRAULIC PILE PULLER Willard H. Rice, Berkeley Heights, NJ., assignor to Raymond International Inc., New York, N.Y., a corporation of New Jersey Filed Jan. 26, 1959, Ser. No. 789,119 3 Claims. (Cl. 61--53.64)

This invention pertains to pile pulling methods and apparatus, and more particularly to an hydraulically actuated pile puller or jack of novel construction and installation and to methods and means for utilizing the same for the aforesaid and related applications.

It is frequently necessary when driving piles, particularly of pipe, such as tubular outer casings for concrete piles, to pull the pipe or casing after driving and thus retrieve this valuable item for re-use. Heretofore, the practice has been to pull such pipe or casings with multiple strands of wire rope and pulleys, using large capacity cranes or steam operated puller hammers.

It is an object of the present invention to eliminate the aforesaid cumbersome means for pulling tubular piles, by providing a completely self-contained hydraulic jack for such purposes, requiring no external pumping or other actuating means, and which is of such compact construction as to be mountable upon an inner core within an outer casing to be driven and withdrawn, and to be thus assembled therein prior to driving, so that pulling can be initiated immediately upon completion of the driving, thus saving considerable time.

The novel hydraulic jack or pile puller of the invention comprises in its essentials, an outer pot cylinder of tubular form, closed at its base for retention of the hydraulic fluid, water, oil, etc., and outwardly flanged at its upper end for mounting, as on an inner core member of the piling as aforesaid. Sleeved within the pot memher in a sliding fit, is a tubular ram cylinder of greater length, within which is concentrically mounted a pump of considerably smaller diameter, consisting of a tubular pump cylinder extending substantially the length of the ram, within which is slidably disposed a piston secured to the lower erid of a piston rod of greater length than the pump cylinder and hence projecting beyond the upper end thereof. The upper end of the ram which projects above the pot, is housed Within a bustle-like reservoir chamber for the hydraulic fluid, which chamber has access to the interior of the ram through ports provided in the walls thereof. The tubular space between the ram and pump cylinder is sealed off atop the ram by a fluid-tight closure plate; and this space is likewise closed off at the base of the ram by a closure memher having passageways therein mounting a pair of check valves so arranged as to provide a check valve outlet from the ram interior to the interior of the pump cylinder at its lower end, and also a check valve outlet from the lower end of the pump cylinder into the closed lower end of the pot cylinder. A pressure pipeline extends from the reservoir chamber atop the ram, through an externally mounted closure valve and thence within the ram to the closure member at its base where it connects with a passageway therethrough into the closed lower end of the pot member. Sufficient hydraulic fluid is introduced into the reservoir chamber to fill the reservoir and the ram interior.

The basic principle of operation of the device is as follows: If the pot member is placed in an upright position on a fixed support and the piston withdrawn, the hydraulic fluid will flow through the check valve outlet of the ram into the pump cylinder and follow up the piston, owing to the hydraulic pressure head established between the reservoir chamber and the base of the ram. It now after the piston is thus withdrawn to a desired or maximum extent, a relatively small force is applied to the projecting end of the piston rod, the hydraulic fluid within the pump cylinder will be forced through the check valve at the base thereof into the pot cylinder beneath the ram and will thereby exert a much greater force to displace the ram upward within the pot, the increase of course being in the ratio of the square of the ram radius to that of the piston, in accordance with conventional hydraulic principles. Also the resulting ram displacement will be less than that of the piston in the inverse ratio of their radii. By opening the closure valve in the pressure pipeline, the ram will descend under gravity to its original position, by forcing the excess hydraulic fluid over to the pressure pipeline and back into the reservoir.

The device is utilized for pulling tubular piles by preassembling a tubular core member of smaller diameter within the tubular pile or outer casing to be driven and pulled. The jack is then assembled on this core by entering the pot therein to its full extent until its upper flanged end seats on the core top, the inner diameter of the core being of course so selected in relation to the outer diameter of the pot as to provide for easy entering and mounting in this manner.

The upper projecting end of the ram is surmounted by a plate welded to a detachable upper portion of the outer casing, and a driving head lowered into position on the plate and pin connected to the casing in conventional manner, this driving head having a central cavity for reception of the projecting upper end of the piston rod which is locked in. position therein with a small amount of play in the manner hereinafter explained,

The entire assembly is then driven into the ground to the desired extent. The driving head coupling pin is removed, and the driving head elevated through its cable connection to the driving hammer by means of the hammer hoisting cables. Elevation of the driving head withdraws the piston, owing to its aforesaid locking connection therewith. The hydraulic fluid thus flows under pressure from the ram into the pump cylinder through the ram check valve, to follow up the piston. The driving head is then lowered by lowering the driving hammer, so that the weight of both now rests on the piston. The pressure head thus established in the pump cylinder, closes the check valve passage into the ram and opens that into the pot cylinder, so that the oil in the pump cylinder is forced by the weight on the piston, into the pot beneath the ram to elevate the latter and thereby raise the plate supported thereon and the outer pile casing welded thereto. The weight of the driving hammer is suflicient to accomplish this operation. Thus assuming a ratio of ram to piston radii of about 7:1, a hammer weight of about 2 tons on the piston would apply a lifting force of about tons to the ram.

The ram is of course forced upward only to a limited extent for a complete downward stroke of the piston, but by repeatedly raising and lowering the driving head and hammer in the manner aforesaid, the ram may be progressively elevated its full permissible height within the pot member, and with it the casing. For further withdrawin the casing, the detachable upper portion of the outer casing is removed and a spacer core member of a length slightly exceeding that of the ram pot, is interposed between the core member and the flanged upper edge of the pot, the upper portion of the outer casing again attached to the lower portion, and the pulling operation continued, this procedure being repeated as required, until the outer casing is fully withdrawn. The jack can thereafter be removed by means of a crane after detaching and removing the detachable upper portion of the outer casing. The core is then similarly withdrawn.

The invention thus provides an hydraulic pile puller and method and means for utilizing the same, which greatly reduces the time heretofore required to set up pulling devices.

Also since with this device, the lifting reaction is through the pot directly against the ground or through a suitable jacking post, such as the aforesaid inner core member, the utilization thereof eliminates the great uplift pull otherwise required by employment of canes for withdrawal, thereby considerably reducing the size of the crane and rig.

Other advantages of the invention are: Greatly increased safety during the pulling operation; positive and equal pressure against the base of the driven pile to assure that the pile retains its full bearing support; considerably greater pulling stroke with shorter pulling rig, thus enhancing mobility of the rig; in addition to which, as above noted, the hydraulic pile puller of the invention is a completely self-contained unit, requiring no extraneous pumping or other actuating means, other than that normally present in a driving rig of standard complement.

Further novel features and advantages of the invention will be pointed out or become apparent as the description proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGS. 1 and 1a are enlarged views in axial sectional elevation of the hydraulic pile puller of the invention as pre-assembled in the manner above described on an inner core member and within an outer pile casing to be driven and pulled; FIG. 1a being an extension of FIG. 1 along the line X-X.

FIG. 2 is a view in elevation and partly in section of the pile assembly of FIGS. 1 and 1a after it has been driven into the ground and prior to initiating the pulling of the outer casing. FIG. 3 is a similar view but with the casing partially pulled. FIG. 4 is a similar view with the casing pulled an amount commensurate with the full stroke of the ram and illustrating the interposition of a spacer core member as aforesaid between the original pile core and the ram pot to permit of further withdrawing the outer casing. FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary view of FIG. 4, in axial sectional elevation, and illustrative of the interposition of the spacer core member and the insertion of the ram pot cylinder therein. FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 4, but showing the piston withdrawn from the ram cylinder preparatory to elevating the ram.

Referring to the drawings, and more particularly for the moment to FIGS. 1-2, incl., there is shown an outer casing or tubular pile to be driven and withdrawn, and comprising a lower casing section 10 having detachably secured thereto an upper casing section 10a as discussed below, is pre-assembled with an inner core member 11, on a driving boot 12, FIG. 3. The hydraulic pile puller shown generally at 13, includes, as stated, a pot cylinder 14, closed at the base, as at 15, and having an outwardly flanged upper end, as at 16.

The pot cylinder is entered into the core 11, until its flanged upper end 16 rests securely on the correspondingly flanged upper terminus 17 of the core. Disposed within the pot cylinder, in a sliding fit, is a tubular ram cylinder 18, terminating at its lower end, in a base portion 19a, 1%, as discussed below, which normally seats on an inner flanged shoulder 20, formed in the base of the pot cylinder. The ram is of sufiicient height to project above the pot cylinder to the extent shown in FIG. 1, when seated therein in the manner above stated.

A reservoir chamber 21 for the hydraulic fluid, oil, water, etc., surrounds the upper portion of the ram cylinder as shown in FIG. 1, which latter constitutes the inner wall of this chamber, as at 1811, and through which the chamber has access to the interior of the ram cylinder via ports therein, as at 22, so that these two act as one in supplying fluid for hydraulic actuation. A closure plate 23, housing sealing gaskets, as at 23a, is bolted, as at 23b, atop the pot cylinder flange 16, to seal and guide the ram as it is displaced.

Concentrically disposed within the ram cylinder 18, is a tubular pump cylinder 24, of considerably smaller diameter than the ram cylinder, and which extends the length thereof, as shown, being tapped at its base, as at 25, into the base portion 1% of the ram. At the top of the ram cylinder, the space between it and the pump cylinder is sealed off by a closure plate 27, bolted atop the reservoir chamber, which thus closes the oil reservoir.

Slidably disposed within the pump cylinder 24, is a piston 28, secured by means of a threaded stud 29, to the lower end of a piston rod 30, of length exceeding the pump cylinder, and which with the piston disposed substantially at the lower end of the pump cylinder, as in FIG. la, projects above the sealing plate 27, to the extent shown in FIG. 1. A guide bushing 31, of bronze or the like, is inserted in the upper end of the pump cylinder 24, which together with the centrally drilled plates 32, 33, bolted atop the closure plate 27, as at 34, guides the piston rod 30. The bushing 31 is held in position by its upper flanged terminus, locked between these plates as shown.

Assembled on the closure plate 27, is a centrally drilled, heavy plate 36, having a cut-out cavity on its lower face for reception of plates 32, 33. This plate is plug welded at angularly spaced intervals thereabout, as at 37, 38, to the upper casing section 1011, this casing section being appropriately slotted longitudinally, as at 39, for reception of the weld metal.

Reverting to the base of the ram, the base portion 19a thereof is integral with the tubular wall thereof as shown, while the base portion 19b is a separate disc-shaped member, the two being secured together by means of bolts (not shown). Member 19a has formed therein near its periphery, an axially extending counter-bored passage 40, in which is inserted a ball check valve 41, resiliently held against the constricted passage inlet 42, by a spring 43 and nut 44 tapped into the opposite end of the passage. Passage 40 connects below the check valve, with a radial passage 45, which connects in turn with an axial passage 46 extending into the pump cylinder 24.

Coaxial with passage 46 in base portion 19a, is an axial passage 47 through base member 19b, this passage being of greater diameter than passage 46, for seating therebetween, a second ball check valve 50, resiliently held in place by spring 51 and nut 52 tapped into passage 47. Passage 47 has access into the pot cylinder 14 through connecting passages, as at 53. Thus the hydraulic fluid can flow under pressure differential, from the ram chamber 21a, through check valve 41 into the pump cylinder, but not in the reverse direction; and can similarly flow from the pump cylinder through check valve 50 into the pot cylinder, but not in the reverse direction.

A pressure line conduit extends from the reservoir chamber 21 into the pot cylinder beneath the same, over a pipe connection 55 having a manually actuated closure valve 56 interposed therein (and manipulated through an opening 56a in the casing 10a), and connecting thence over a pipe connection 57, extending within the ram chamber 21a, to the base member 19a, being tapped thereto, and connecting thereat to a passage 58, extending through base members 19a and 19b, and opening into the pot chamber via passages 53.

Reverting to FIG. 1, it will be observed that the piston rod 30, projects at its upper end through the axial bores in plates 27, 32, 33, 36, and terminates at its upper end in a flanged head 60. This head is secured within a central cavity 61, of a driving head 62, assembled on plate 36, and connected to the outer casing 10, 10a, by means of a pin 63. Thrust balls, as at 64, are interposed in the driving head cavity 61, above the flanged piston head 60, to act thereon for minimizing transfer of any misalignment that might otherwise occur during the long stroke of the piston in elevating the ram. A lock nut 65 acts to retain the flanged piston rod within the driving head during its up and down strokes, as above mentioned.

In order to assemble the piston rod head.60 in the driving head 62 in the manner shown in FIG. 1, the piston rod and piston are wholly withdrawn from the pump cylinder 24 with the hydraulic reservoir chambers 21, 21a, emptied, as through the drain plug 66a in the base 15 of the pot cylinder. With pin 63 removed and the driving head 62 sufficiently raised off plate 36, through its cable connection 67, FIG. 2, to the driving hammer 68, and by means of the hammer hoisting cables 69, the piston rod head 60 is inserted in the driving head cavity 61 with the thrust balls 64 interposed. The lock nut 65 is slipped over the entire length of the piston rod and piston assembly and threaded into the driving head cavity as shown in FIG. 1. The driving head is then lowered to enter the piston and piston rod into the upper end of the pump cylinder until the driving head rests on plate 36. Pin 63 is reinserted and the reservoir chambers 21, 21a, filled with hydraulic fluid through a suitable inlet into chamber 21 (not shown). With all components assembled and disposed as in FIGS. 1 and la, the apparatus is ready for driving.

During the driving of the pile, the valve 56- is kept tightly closed. During each blow of the driving hammer 68, FIG. 2, the piston rod head 60 moves downwardly through the space 66 between it and the lock nut 65, FIG. 1, thus pumping a slight amount of oil, always to assure positive pressure in the hydraulic jack, in excess of leakage. This pressure keeps the balance of the movable parts locked together to minimize impact effect. After the driving is complete, as in FIG. 2, the pin 63 is removed as therein shown. The valve 56, FIG. 1, is still kept tightly closed. The driving head 62 is raised up as above explained through its cable connection 67, FIG. 2, to the driving hammer 68, and by means of the hammer hoisting cable 69, thus raising the piston 30, by engagement of the lock nut 65, FIG. 1, with the piston rod head 60. FIG. 6 shows this equipment as thus elevated. During this operation, the check valve 41, FIG. 1a, opens owing to the pressure head established in the reservoir chambers 21, 21a, forcing the hydraulic fluid into the pump cylinder to the extent permitted by the elevated positioning of the piston 30. The driving head and hammer assembly 62, 68, is then lowered. As fluid pressure thus builds up within the pump cylinder by the weight of the driving head and driving hammer thereon, the check valve 50, FIG. la, is forced open admitting the hydraulic fluid from the pump cylinder 24 into the chamber of the pot cylinder 14, beneath the ram 18, thus raising the ram and with it the plate 36 carried thereby and the outer casing 10, 10a, as above described. As above stated, the weight of the driving hammer being thus lowered provides sufiicient force to accomplish this pumping action.

Repeated strokes of the driving head and hammer assembly, first raising it as aforesaid to withdraw the piston 30 full stroke, and thereafter lowering the same to apply the hammer weight to the piston rod head 60, gradually raises the ram 18, and with it the outer casing 10, as above described. During this elevation of the ram, the reaction of the pot cylinder 14 is of course downwardly on the inner core member 11. FIG. 3 shows the casing 10 thus partially withdrawn.

Referring to FIG. 1a, for purposes of detachably securing the upper casing section 10a to the lower section 10, the upper section is sleeved within a steel collar 70, welded thereto and having integral therewith a series of circumferentially spaced dependent locking collets, as at 71, 72, which tend to spring outwardly, but which are normally held in locking engagement with a chamfered collar 73 encircling and welded to the lower casing 10, and by means of a locking collar 74, having a chamfered inner surface, as at 75. When the locking collar isd ise placed upwardly to disengage its inner surface from the locking collets, the latter will spring outwardly a sufficient distance to clear the collar 73, whereby the upper casing section 10a is freed and can be lifted off the lower section 10.

Referring now to FIGS. 4-6, incl., when the outer casing 10, 10a, has been pulled to the maximum extent the hydraulic jack 13 can accommodate, the upper casing section 10a is detached from the lower casing section 10 in the manner above described. With pin 63 remaininginserted as in FIG. 1, the entire assembly comprising the hammer 68, driving head 62, piston and rod 28, 30, and the upper casing section 18a, is elevated as a unit by means of the hammer hoisting cables 69. The balance of the hydraulic ram assembly is then completely withdrawn, and a spacer core member 76 entered into the lower casing section 10 in the manner illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6 until its lower end seats on the upper flanged end 17 of the core 11. Referring to FIG. 6, in order to assure that the core spacer member 76 will be axially aligned with and properly seated on the flanged upper end of core 11 as aforesaid, the spacer core member has welded to its lower end, an internal collar 77, which projects beyond the core spacer member as shown, and which is entered into the core 11 until the lower end of the spacer member seats on the flanged upper end 17 of the core in the manner illustrated in the drawing. The pot cylinder 14 having the ram assembled therein, is then lowered into the core spacer member 76, until its upper flanged end 16 seats on the upper flanged end 78 of the core spacer member 76, in the manner illustrated in FIG. 4. The driving hammer, etc., assembly above described is then lowered into position to re-enter the piston and rod 28, 30, into the pump cylinder and until the driving hammer seats on plate 36, whereupon the upper casing section 10a is reattached to the lower casing section 10 in the manner illustrated in FIG. la. Pulling of the outer casing is then proceeded with in the manner above described, with the insertion of additional core spacer members as required, until the casing is completely withdrawn.

At the end of each pulling cycle in which the ram has -been elevated to its permissible extent, it is returned to its lowermost position of FIGS. 1 and la by opening valve 56. The weight of the ram assembly forces the hydraulic fluid up the pipeline 57-55, incl., returning it to the reservoir 21, 21a, and thereby allowing the ram to re-enter the pot cylinder'to the maximum extent, i.e., until the base member 19b reseats on the pot cylinder flanges 20, FIG. 1a.

For producing shell type concrete piles, the annular space between the outer casing 10 and core 11, may be filled with liquid concrete introduced through a pipe connection 80, either during the driving or thereafter, preferably the former in order to save time. The outer casing 10, 10a, is pulled as soon as the driving and placement of the concrete is complete, in order that it may flow against the earth, and after it has hardened and set, the inner core is withdrawn.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for driving and withdrawing shell type piling comprising in combination: an outer tubular casing to be driven and withdrawn, an inner tubular core of smaller diameter disposed therein, an hydraulic jack including concentrically disposed tubes consisting of a pot closed at its base and mounted within and supported by said core, a ram slidable within said pot and projecting therefrom, a pump of smaller diameter mounted within the ram by fluid tight closure means at the top and by closure means at the base including check valve outlets from the ram into the pump and from the pump into the pot, respectively, a fluid reservoir chamber surrounding the ram above the pot and having access to the ram interior, a conduit including valve closure means extending in part within the ram between said chamber and the base of said pot, a plate surmounting the ram and secured to said casing, a piston and rod assembly slidable within the pump, said rod projecting above the pump through an aperture of said plate and having a flanged upper terminus, a driving head surmounting said plate and being detachably secured to said casing, said driving head having a cavity housing the flanged end of said piston rod, a lock nut tapped into said cavity for retaining the flanged terminus of said rod, and thrust balls disposed within said cavity on said flanged rod terminus.

2. Apparatus for driving and withdrawing shell type piling, comprising in combination: an outer tubular casing to be driven and withdrawn, an inner tubular core of smaller diameter disposed therein, an hydraulic jack including concentrically disposed tubes consisting of a pot closed at its base, mounted within and supported upon said core, a ram slidable within said pot and projecting therefrom, a pump of smaller diameter mounted within the ram by fluid-tight closure means at the top and by closure means at the base including check valve outlets from the ram into the pump and from the pump into the pot, respectively, means secured to said casing actuated by said ram, a piston and rod assembly slidable within the pump, said rod projecting above the pump, a driving head surmounting said plate and being detachably secured to said casing, and means coupling the projecting end of said rod to said driving head.

3. Apparatus for driving and withdrawing shell type piling comprising in combination: an outer tubular casing to be driven and withdrawn, an upper casing section detachably secured thereto, an inner tubular core of smaller diameter disposed therein, an hydraulic jack ineluding concentrically disposed tubes consisting of a pot closed at its base and mounted within and supported by said core, a ram slidable within said pot and projecting therefrom, a pump of smaller diameter mounted within the ram by fluid-tight closure means at the top and by closure means at the base including check valve outlets from the ram into the pump and from the pump into the pot, respectively, a fluid reservoir chamber surrounding the ram above the pot and having access to the ram interior, a conduit including valve closure means extending in part within the ram between said chamber and the base of said pot, means secured to said casing actuated by said ram, a piston and rod assembly slidable within the pump, said rod projecting above the pump, a driving head surmounting said ram and being detachably secured to said casing, and means coupling said projecting end of said rod to said driving head, and means for introducing fluid concrete between said casing and core.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,579,913 Bronson Apr. 6, 1926 2,050,215 Watt Aug. 4, 1936 2,528,999 Bruns Nov. 7, 1950 2,621,631 Dowty Dec. 16, 1952 2,729,067 Patterson Jan. 3, 1956 2,809,494 Matson Oct. 15, 1957 2,828,611 Johansson Apr. 1, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 608,054 Great Britain Sept. 9, 1948 1,161,438 France Mar. 24, 1958 804,430 Great Britain Nov. 12, 1958 

